


The Day After

by aflawedfashion



Category: Defiance (TV)
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Post-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 16:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9665114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aflawedfashion/pseuds/aflawedfashion
Summary: The day after Berlin and Irisa's first kiss, they go to work as usual.





	

“Looks like our shift is over,” Berlin said, glancing at the clock as she removed her badge and set it on the desk in front of Irisa. “We’re free to do whatever we want, have a little fun without the pressure of upholding the law.” Berlin arched her eyebrows, doing her best to seem flirtatious without seeming overly eager. “Well, free to do whatever we want until tomorrow morning when the badge goes back on.” 

“Guess so,” Irisa replied in a frustratingly disinterested tone that made Berlin want to grab her by the shoulders and demand to know how she could have the audacity to walk into the office like everything hadn’t changed the night before. Had a kiss that left Berlin speechless and feeling hopeful about her future for the first time in a very long time really meant nothing to her?

But Berlin didn’t grab Irisa. She didn't even raise an eyebrow. If Irisa was going to pretend like it never happened, she refused to humiliate herself over it, so she simply asked, “Big plans for the night?” as she struggled to sound like she was making casual small talk with a coworker. 

“No.” 

Berlin nodded, the sound of the ticking clock hammering in her brain as Irisa held her gaze in the nearly silent room. She felt like she was losing a staring contest with a cat. 

“The sad truth is,” Berlin continued, “I’m probably just going to go home and do nothing.”

“Ok,” Irisa replied with such indifference that Berlin had to turn away before Irisa could see the disappointment on her face. 

Berlin liked to think of herself as a strong person. She would punch a man in the face without hesitation, but when it came to romance, she couldn’t stop herself from becoming an illogical mess. 

She easily fell for men whose families hated her and women she knew were strictly off limits, but she had never fallen in love the way you were supposed to fall in love. She had never found someone who she could love and who would love her in return. Every time she got burned, she told herself that it was the last time, that she would stick to meaningless sex for the rest of her life, but then she would kiss someone who left her with a rush of emotions that replaced her common sense.

Berlin looked wistfully out the window at the NeedWant, briefly considering asking for an application and forsaking real romance all together, but she knew that wasn’t the answer. She had been through this enough times to know what she really needed was to wallow in ice cream laced with vodka. That would put her head back on straight.

She commanded herself to just get out of the office as quickly as possible. Tighten her ponytail. Grab her jacket off the chair. Dig her keys out of her jacket pocket. Those were the same steps she took every evening, but suddenly, she felt like she was in slow motion as she went through a series of mistakes that were pulling her away from what she really desired.

“Good night,” Berlin said, her eyes meeting Irisa’s in one last attempt to get her to acknowledge their kiss.

“Night,” Irisa replied, and Berlin’s heart somehow managed to sink even lower. As she reached for the door, she was already attempting to accept that whatever could have been between them was over before it ever really began. 

But before Berlin had even opened the door, she heard Irisa say, “Would you like to get a drink?” The words rushed out of Irisa’s mouth so quickly that Berlin wondered if Irisa might have actually been nervous. That was new to Berlin.

“What?” Berlin asked, genuinely shocked as she turned around, her arm falling to her side like dead weight.

“Alcohol,” Irisa said as she approached Berlin.

“I'm still recovering from last night,” Berlin said, her brain racing to adjust to what was happening.

“Coffee?” Irisa asked as if she were trying to guess the right answer in a trivia game.

“It's six o’clock at night.”

“That's why I suggested alcohol.”

Berlin laughed, shaking her head as she let go of all the anxiety that had built up over the day with the realization that she had been wrong about everything. 

“You know what I'm saying,” Irisa said in an offended tone, clearly mistaking the meaning behind Berlin’s laughter.

“Yeah,” Berlin said, stepping closer to Irisa, “I think I do, but I want to hear you say it.”

A hint of an embarrassed smile played across Irisa’s face as she looked to the side. “I wish I knew how, but I don't do this.” Her eyes met Berlin's. “I don't ask people out on dates. I don't even go on dates.” 

“Fine.” Berlin nodded, her eyes falling on Irisa's lips. “Then just kiss me already. I've been waiting all day, and I don't think I can wait much longer.” 

Without hesitating, Irisa confidently took Berlin's hand in her own and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss against her lips. 

“That I know how to do,” Irisa said, her lips still hovering next to Berlin's.

“So, want to get dinner with me?” Berlin whispered.

“Yes,” Irisa said through a smile that completely transformed her face, and Berlin finally saw the sparkle in Irisa's eyes that had been missing the whole day. Maybe, she realized, what she mistook for indifference was actually the same nervousness Berlin had been wrestling with.

“Good,” Berlin said, leading them towards the door, not letting go of Irisa's hand. “And that's how you make a date.”   
  



End file.
